


Just Say You Won't Let Go

by Garter



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Blow Jobs, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Multi, Open Relationships, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pittsburgh Penguins, Polyamory, Rimming, Threesome - M/M/M, Vegas Golden Knights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-07 23:19:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11634036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garter/pseuds/Garter
Summary: Sid, Flower, and Hags decide to have a no-strings-attached threesome after the NHL awards and Expansion Draft in Vegas.Turns out there may have been some strings there for Sid and Flower after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! It's been a very long time since I've done a multi-chapter fic but here I am with some good-old-fashioned post-Expansion Draft Sid/Flower.
> 
> A disclaimer: This entire fic will probably have been written before the events in it (the first chapter was written right after the draft, but it's written long before the season) As such, there may be inconsistencies later on. Sorry bout that.
> 
> A huge thanks to my hockey group chat, but in particular to arionriot for giving me the idea and helping me out with writing everything, and also for being my beta. You're the best bro.
> 
> Also, this fic is from a third-person limited perspective, but it switches between Sid and Flower as the character of focus. When it's Sid's POV, Flower is called Flower; but when it's Flower's POV, he's referred to as Marc.

 

 

 

The awards hurt.

Of course they did. Sid knew they would. He knew Flower was going to Vegas, obviously, but he didn’t realize just how much it would sting to see it all finalized, Flower’s name on that board, Flower standing on that stage wearing the wrong shades of black and gold. But was Sidney Crosby, and he needed to hold it together for the cameras.

If he chanced a brief squeeze of Hags’ hand for comfort, well, nobody needed to know but them.

 

* * *

 

 

The Golden Knights jersey felt weird.

Obviously the fabric was different, new and fancy and lightweight, but Marc felt almost weighed down by it. He knew it would get better over time, he’d get used to it, but for now, it felt weird.

He tried his best not to show his inner turmoil over it. He knew this was coming, if not this jersey, then another team’s. He’d had plenty of time to mentally prepare himself. But even so, it was hard. Of course it was hard. Fourteen long years in a city that had come to be home as much as Sorel-Tracy weren’t easy to move on from. He could do it, obviously. But it would still be hard.

 

* * *

 

 

The afterparties flew by in a blur of formalities and alcohol. Sid got drunker than he’d hoped, but Hags was way farther gone than Sid, so he figured it was alright.

They managed to meet up with Flower right before leaving for the hotel, and he hitched a ride back with them. He was nearly as drunk as Hags.

Once they arrived at the hotel, Sid and Flower started to head off to their rooms, but Hags grabbed both their arms and gave them a pleading look.

“Can we hang out tonight?”

Sid and Flower both melted and nodded, following a now sunny-looking Hags up to his room.

 

* * *

 

 

A few Gatorades later, Marc was crammed into a hotel bed with Sid and Hags, watching _Fast Five_. They had started off sitting away from each other, but Hags had become clingier as the night went on, and somehow they had ended up all crammed together, Hags spooning Marc from behind while Marc’s head rested on Sid’s chest. Sid’s hand carded mindlessly through Marc’s hair, Sid probably oblivious to the fact that he was even doing it. It was nice, comforting after the emotional roller coaster that that day had been. Marc had begun drifting, content, when he suddenly felt something against the back of his neck. It took him a moment, between the sleepy contentedness and the alcohol, to realize it was Hags’ lips.

Marc stiffened, “Haggy?”

Hags smiled against Marc’s skin, causing a shiver to fun down Marc’s spine.

“Look Flower. If you want me to back off I will. But fuck, I really wanna blow you right now.”

Marc inhaled sharply, flushing. His dick twitched, eager despite the obvious issues with the situation. He glanced up at Sid’s face, which looked shocked and red, but also slightly interested.

“I bet Sid would want to watch that. Huh, Sid?”

Sid blushed brighter, glancing away. “Well…”

Marc tried hard not to think about that while he choked out, “Haggy. I’m married.”

Hags pulled away slightly, “Would she have a problem?”

“We’ve never discussed it before.”

Hags let out a soft whimper and pressed his forehead to Marc’s neck, “This is the last time we’ll be together before everything changes completely. I want to make the most of it.”

Flower sighed, then looked up at Sid. Sid’s face looked conflicted.

“If Vero was okay with it,” Sid said slowly, “Would you be?”

Flower paused, unsure if he wanted to admit it, but then sighed and said, “I would be so much more than okay with it.”

Sid smiled, “Maybe you could try calling Vero? The worst she could say is no.”

Marc ignored the thought that it could have much worse consequences than just not being allowed to fuck his ex-teammates as he reached for his phone and dialed before he could second guess himself.

Vero sounded sleepy as she answered the phone in French. “ _Marc? I was wondering where you got to. Are you back at the hotel yet?”_

“ _Yeah, I am. I’m in Carl’s room with him and Sid.”_

_“Oh good, I was a little worried.”_

Marc smiled, _“I’m fine. Hey, can I ask you a hypothetical question?”_

Vero made a thoughtful noise, “ _I don’t see why not.”_

Marc took a deep breath, “ _Okay, so. What would you say if I told you that Sid and Carl want to have sex with me?”_ He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself.

A startled laugh came from the other end of the line, “ _I’d ask what you’re doing talking to me when they’re waiting on you.”_

Marc blinked, “ _Really?”_

 _“Really,”_ Vero said, her voice softening, “ _I know what you mean to them. And I know that you love me. Take care of your boys, Marc.”_

_“Thank you, Vero. I love you.”_

_“Love you too dear. I’ll see you in the morning.”_

Marc hung up the phone and looked up at Sid and Hags. Hags was looking hopeful, and Sid was already smiling, having followed enough of Marc's half of the conversation.

“I guess we're doing this then,” Marc said, huffing a small laugh, unable to keep a grin from his face. Sid and Hags grinned back, and Hags immediately pulled Marc into a filthy kiss. Marc let out a loud moan, pressing closer and threading his fingers through Hags' long golden hair. Sid scooted up close behind Marc, letting his hands roam over Marc's stomach and chest. Marc could feel Sid's hardening dick against his ass, and he groaned into Hags' mouth, pressing back just a bit to feel Sid. Hags groaned as well, pressing his dick into Marc's thigh. He licked into Marc's mouth, tugging at Marc's silky hair.

Hags pulled back after a moment, drawing a whine from Marc's throat. He smiled, “I think Sid is feeling a little left out.” He pulled away just long enough to gently turn Marc over to face Sid, then plastered himself against Marc's back.

Marc looked up at Sid, smiling and flushed. “Hey,” he said, cupping Sid’s cheek and caressing it with his thumb.

Sid chuckled as he leaned into the touch, “Hey.”

Marc leaned forward, kissing Sid deeply. He groaned against Sid's plush lips, one hand threading into Sid's short hair, the other sliding down to grab a handful of his ass. Sid kissed back just as eagerly, holding Marc close.

Hags, who had been pressing kisses to the back of Marc’s neck, bit down suddenly at the juncture of Marc’s neck and shoulder, startling a sharp whine from the goalie. He started sucking at the skin, leaving large dark marks on Marc’s pale neck. While his mouth was occupied, he slid his hands around Marc’s hips and began slowly grinding his cock into Marc’s ass. Marc pushed back against the pressure, moaning long and low.

Slowly, Hags’ hand slid around to cup Marc through his pants. Marc pulled away from Sid’s mouth, breathing out, “Ah, _crisse.”_ Sid squeezed Marc gently, using the opportunity to move his lips down Marc’s jaw to his neck, where he began marking up the territory Hags couldn’t reach. Hags rubbed Marc’s hard cock through his pants, grinding harder against him.

Sid gently pushed Hags’ hand away, drawing a confused look from the Swede, before carefully unbuttoning and unzipping Marc’s pants. The confusion morphed into a grin as Hags helped Sid slide Marc’s pants down his thighs.

Sid smiled at Marc as he gently palmed Marc’s dick through his boxer briefs. Marc moaned, his hips twitching into the attention. Hags slid Marc’s shirt off, before sitting back to shed his own. Sid’s shirt followed shortly after.

Marc let his hands roam over Sid’s thick torso. Sid flinched and made a breathy sound when Marc’s hand brushed over his nipple. Marc grinned, them went back, slowly circling Sid’s nipple with his fingertip. Sid groaned, his hand tightening over Marc’s clothed dick, which drew a grunt from Marc.

“This is fun and all, but I was promised I’d be giving some head tonight,” Hags said, leaning over Marc’s shoulder to look at the both of them. Marc chuckled, turning over to face Hags. Hags pulled Marc into a kiss, then slowly slid Marc’s underwear out of the way to wrap a hand around his dick. Marc let out a sharp whine, bucking into Hags’ hand. Hags gave a few good pumps, then pushed Marc gently onto his back so he was propped against the pillows. He grinned up at him as he slid down Marc’s body until his face was level with Marc’s dick.

“Wait,” Sid said suddenly. Marc and Hags gave him confused looks. Sid ignored them, moving to gently push Marc forward so he could slide in behind him, legs on either side of him. Marc realized, as Sid pulled him into his chest, that Sid had removed the rest of his clothing while Hags was distracting him. He flushed at the feeling of Sid’s hard, naked cock pressing against the top of his ass.

“Good?” Sid asked, his lips close to Marc’s ear. Marc nodded, settling back into Sid’s body more fully.

“Can I get to the dick sucking now?” Hags asked, teasing impatience in his voice. Marc looked down at him.

Sid spoke up from behind Marc, “Why don’t you join the party and get your pants off first, eh?”

Hags grinned and immediately took that advice, then leaned down and licked a long stripe up Marc’s straining erection. Marc threw back his head and let out a long, high moan. Sid took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss Marc’s neck, his hands coming forward to run over Marc’s well-defined abs and chest. Marc threaded his fingers into Hags’ hair, tugging gently. Hags gave a breathy noise before lowering his head to take the head of Marc’s dick into his mouth. Marc let out a sharp, surprised noise, his hips bucking slightly into Hags’ warm, wet mouth. Hags gently held Marc’s hips still, then slowly made his way down Marc’s shaft until his nose just about brushed Marc’s dark pubic hair.

“Fuck, Haggy, where did you learn to do that?” Marc moaned out.

Sid chuckled behind him, “Horny, probably.”

Hags’ struggled against a laugh, trying not to choke, and gave a thumbs up which Marc assumed was a confirmation. Sid and Marc laughed, though Marc’s was cut off by a whimper as Hags tongued at Marc’s slit. Sid slid his hands up to Marc’s chest and began rolling Marc’s nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Marc squirmed, pressing his chest up into Sid’s hands and his head back against Sid’s shoulder to press kisses along the side of Sid’s face and neck.

After a moment, Marc looked up at Sid, “I feel like you aren’t getting much out of this,” he breathed.

Sid raised an eyebrow, “If you think I’m not getting anything out of this you’re crazy.”

Marc tapped Hags’ cheek. “Wait a minute,” he said, and Hags pulled back, looking reluctant.

Marc turned back to Sid, “Will you let me try something?” Marc asked, stroking Sid’s face.

“Of course, anything,” Sid said, leaning into the touch.

“I want you to sit on my face.”

Sid blinked, staring at Marc.

“Please?”

Sid huffed a laugh, “Well I feel like I’d be an idiot to say no, eh?”

Marc grinned, then sat up to let Sid out from behind him. Marc scooted down to a more reclined position, and Sid positioned himself over Marc.

“Is this good?” Sid asked, glancing over his shoulder at Marc.

“ _Parfait, mon cher_ ,” Marc said, caressing Sid’s ass with both hands.

Hags laughed, “Reduced to your maiden tongue by the Crosbooty,” he said, shaking his head.

“ _Casse-toi_ ,” Marc leaned around Sid to say—drawing another laugh—then focused his attention back to the ass in question. He pressed a kiss to one cheek, then the other. Sid shuddered under Marc’s hands. Marc gently spread Sid’s ass cheeks, making Sid flush all the way down his neck. Marc skimmed it with his fingertips, and Sid let out a breathy moan. Marc leaned in and pressed a small kiss to the opening, and Sid whimpered, his hips shifting back just enough to show he was asking for more. Marc flattened his tongue and licked broadly over Sid’s hole. Sid keened, his high moans echoing off the hotel room walls. Marc spared a brief thought of apology to their neighbors before going in full force, lapping at Sid as he whined and slightly shifted his hips.

Marc felt a hand slide up his thigh slowly, inching toward his dick. He lifted his hand off Sid’s ass long enough to give Hags a thumbs-up to signal that he was ready for him to continue. Hags needed no further invitation, and immediately took Marc’s dick back into his mouth. Marc moaned against Sid’s entrance, and Sid let out a shuddery keen at the sensation.  

This time, Hags didn’t take Marc down into his throat. Instead, he focused on the head, licking and sucking at the sensitive skin there, while working Marc’s shaft with his hand. He ran his tongue over Marc’s slit every now and then, drawing a high moan from him each time, which made Sid squirm and whine as well.

Marc squeezed Sid’s ass cheeks gently as he slipped the tip of his tongue into Sid’s entrance. Sid nearly shouted, his knuckles white on his thighs where they were helping keep him propped up. He was panting, tense, and seemed to be doing all he could not to grind back on Marc’s face. Even so, his hips were shifting back minutely, trying to get as much sensation as they he could. He seemed so close, so desperate, and Marc wanted nothing more than to get him over the edge. Marc realized with a start that Sid seemed to be crying, though he figured it was safe to assume they were good tears. He shifted so that he was holding Sid’s ass apart with just one hand, then slid his free hand up and around to wrap around Sid’s dick. Marc got half a stroke in before Sid was sobbing and pulsing hot come over his own chest and down Marc’s hand.

Marc pulled away and let out a long, high whine. The sounds Sid had made, combined with Hags’ reaction in the form of a pained groan and a tightened hand, had Marc racing toward his own climax. Squeezing Sid’s hips, Marc let out one last sharp cry before spilling into Hags’ mouth.

Sid collapsed to the side, careful not to hit anyone on his way down. Marc looked over at him, panting, and gave him a wide smile. Sid smiled back, his eyes still a little watery, then they both turned their gazes to Hags, who was wiping come from the corner of his mouth and looking immensely pleased with himself.

Sid glanced down at Hags’ hard dick, then beckoned him closer. “Let me help you with that,” he said, voice wrecked.

Hags didn’t need to be asked twice. He crawled up the bed, settling himself snugly against Marc. Marc immediately wrapped himself around Hags from behind, sucking a bruising kiss into his shoulder, while Sid ran his hand though the come still on his chest to slick it up, then wrapped the hand around Hags’ straining cock. It only took a few pulls before Hags was swearing in Swedish and coming over Sid’s hand.

Sid scooted up close to Hags, wrapping himself around him from the front and resting his hand on Marc’s hip. Marc smiled sleepily at both of them, then closed his eyes, settled in, and drifted off into a contented sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Sid woke up warm and content. There was a weight draped around him, and silky hair tickling his chin. He opened his eyes and peered down to see Flower’s dark hair on his shoulder, his hand resting on Sid’s chest. He looked peaceful, snuggled against Sid’s side, with none of the stress of the past few months visible on his sleeping face. Sid felt something swell in his chest, though he couldn’t identify the feeling. He carded his fingers though Flower’s hair and closed his eyes, dozing again.

A time later—Sid wasn’t sure how long—Sid was startled awake by Flower jumping up out of bed and making a break for the bathroom. Sid followed after him, worried, and found Flower retching over the toilet. Sid rushed over and kneeled next to Flower, pushing back his bangs to keep them out of the way.

Flower heaved a few more times, then sat back on his heels, sighing. He looked back at Sid and gave a faint smile. Sid felt his heart tighten.

“Guess I drank more than I thought last night,” Flower said with a small chuckle.

Sid shook his head, smiling slightly, “I’ll say. What did you even have?”

Flower shrugged, “A lot of wine.”

“That’ll do it. You okay now?”

Flower smiled, “Yeah, I think I’m good now. Just need some coffee and a greasy breakfast, eh?”

As if on cue, Hags walked in the hotel room door holding a paper tray of Starbucks cups. He passed the bathroom to look into the bedroom, then turned around, looking puzzled until he found Sid and Flower.

“Oh, there you guys are. You drink too much last night too, Flower?”

“Just a bit.”

“I threw up earlier too. Figured I’d grab us all coffee since I was awake,” Hags said with a laugh.

Sid began to stand, but Flower put a hand on his arm, keeping him there. Sid looked at Flower, confused.

“Hey. Thanks,” Flower said softly. Sid had a feeling he was referring to more than just holding his hair while he puked.

“No problem,” he said back softly, and then they both stood and headed out to Hags and their coffee.

 

* * *

 

 

“ _So? How did things go_ ?” Vero asked, sipping her coffee. Marc blushed, and Vero chuckled, “ _That good, huh?”_

“ _It was… Very good,”_ Marc admitted, glancing away.

_“I’m glad.”_

Marc looked at Vero’s face, searching for any sign of discomfort or jealousy in her expression, but found only sincerity. He smiled at her.

“ _So are you gonna give me details?”_ Vero asked, nearly making Marc spit out the sip of coffee he was taking.

“ _Not at breakfast!”_ He hissed, glancing around. Sure, they were speaking French, but there were plenty of Canadians around at the moment.

Vero laughed, “ _I know not now. But later.”_

“ _Of course. Anything you want to know, chérie.”_ Marc said, setting a hand over Vero’s, and Vero smiled brightly.

 

* * *

 

 

“Why are you so twitchy?” Hags asked as he and Sid were boarding the plane home.

“I don’t know,” Sid said honestly, “Just feeling kinda weird.”

“Not regretting last night, are you?” Hags said, sounding genuinely worried.

“No, of course not,” Sid replied quickly.

Hags hummed, but shrugged and left it be.

Sid sighed. He stepped forward onto the plane. The feeling was something he couldn’t place exactly, but he felt vaguely like something was missing.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer comes and goes, and Sid and Flower have some shit to figure out.

The off-season flew by in a whirlwind of golf and fishing and hockey camps and Cup days. Sid’s last hurrah with Flower and Hags was, for the most part, pushed to the back of his mind.

The only time he tended to dwell on it was late at night with his hand around his dick.

But the off-season was over now, and Sid was back in Pittsburgh, which meant his focus was firmly on hockey and the upcoming season.

Sid walked into the first practice back and immediately felt something off about the locker room. Really, the room always felt a bit off at the beginning of the season, with old teammates gone and new ones in their place. But the feeling was stronger this year, and Sid knew exactly why.

Flower wasn’t there.

Obviously he wasn’t, he wasn’t a Penguin anymore. That was the whole reason for what happened the night of the Awards (which, okay, Sid really should not have been thinking about in the locker room. A boner would get him chirped six ways to Sunday). And Sid hadn’t been under any illusions that this wouldn’t hurt like a bitch, but all the preparation in the world wouldn’t have helped at all.

Sid clearly wasn’t the only one feeling a little somber about the situation, he noticed as he walked into the locker room. Basically everyone who had been a Penguin last season looked subdued, although that wasn’t stopping them from fucking around, excited to see everyone who was there.

As soon as Sid was noticed, though, he was pulled into catching up and introductions and hockey chatter, and his mind was pulled a bit away from his missing goalie, if only slightly.

 

* * *

 

 

Vegas was, most definitely, not Pittsburgh.

Marc knew this, obviously, but he was still getting used to everything. For one, it was hot as shit. Pittsburgh’s muggy summer heat was hard enough for someone born and raised in Quebec to handle, but Las Vegas’ dry desert heat was oppressive.

For another, his teammates were totally different.

They were great, he was really starting to get used to the team’s dynamic. But Marc still found himself turning to quip something in French to Tanger, only to feel his heart drop when he remembered that his friend was 2200 miles away.

He kept up contact with just about everyone from the Penguins, of course, especially with Tanger. A friendship like theirs wouldn’t be broken by a trade, no matter how far. But still, Marc missed having someone close enough that he could just pop over to their house if he needed someone to hang out with. He was getting along with his new teammates, sure, but he wasn’t at that place with any of them quite yet.

One ex-teammate he was having trouble keeping up correspondence with was Sid. They sent each other a few texts and Snapchats over the summer, but Marc couldn’t help but feel like there was something strained between them.

(He considered that it just maaaybe had something to do with the awkwardness that came with sleeping with one of your closest friends. Possibly.)

No matter what the reason was, it was frustrating Marc. Sid used to be someone he could talk to so easily, but now it felt like their friendship was being tested. And of course, since Marc wasn’t close to anyone in Vegas yet, poor Vero was stuck with the brunt of his wallowing.

“Marc, have you thought about talking to Sid about this?” Vero interjected into another bout of Marc’s whining. Marc blinked up at her.

“What? No, that would just make things weird.”

Vero fixed Marc with a look. “Marc. You made things weird when you ate his ass at the Awards. Just call him.”

Marc groaned, and Vero rolled her eyes.

 “If you don’t call him soon, then I will.”

Marc groaned louder and got up from where his head was resting in Vero’s lap. “I’ll call him now,” he muttered, stalking off to their bedroom for some privacy, leaving behind a triumphantly grinning Vero.

Marc dialed up Sid as soon as he was alone, not letting himself lose his nerve.

“Hey, Flower! What’s up?” Sid said through the speaker, sounding both excited and a bit apprehensive. Marc could relate.

“Hey man. How are things back in the ‘Burgh?” Marc asked casually, pacing his bedroom to work out his nerves.

“Ah, same as always. Well, almost the same…” Sid said, trailing off a bit sadly. He cleared his throat, “How’s Vegas?”

“Hot as fuck,” Marc complained, “But the team’s pretty good. We’re starting to mesh pretty well.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

There was silence, a beat too long to be comfortable. Marc sighed, deciding to just get it over with.

“Look, are we okay?”

“Huh?” Marc could just picture Sid’s confused expression, “Why wouldn’t we be okay?”

“I just… Feel like things have been a little weird since the Awards?”

Sid hummed, “Yeah, I’ve honestly been feeling the same way.”

Marc let out a relieved breath, “Oh good it’s not just me.”

Sid gave a pained chuckle, “Nope.”

There was another silence. Marc was going to go insane if this kept happening.

“Do you regret what we did at the Awards?” Sid asked abruptly.

Marc blinked, taken aback, “No. It was incredible, honestly.”

Sid huffed a laugh, “Oh good. I thought so too.”

“So. We’re good then?” Marc said hopefully

“Of course. It was just sex, right?”

Marc wasn’t sure why, but something about that made something twist inside him.

“Yeah. Of course,” he replied, hoping that tightness didn’t show though in his voice.

“So how’s your preseason going?” Sid asked, switching gears. Marc started in on telling Sid all about how his team was playing, and they ended up talking for hours about hockey, just like they used to, if not about the same team anymore.

Marc had missed this.

 

* * *

 

 

They started texting constantly after that. They’d message each other anything and everything, from thoughts on hockey, to restaurants they ate at, to pictures of Flower’s kids. Sid wasn’t sure exactly how it happened—they hadn’t even texted this much when they were on the same team—but he was glad for it. It helped ease the pain of Flower not being around, constantly talking to him like this.

 Sid was sitting in his stall after practice, toweling off his shower-damp hair with one hand and texting with his other. He jumped as Tanger plopped down beside him.

“Who you texting?” Tanger asked, grinning, “Your girlfriend or something?”

Sid flushed slightly, “No, it’s Flower.”

Tanger laughed, “So yes, then.”

“What?” Sid looked up at Tanger, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re always texting him and you two won’t shut the fuck up about each other.”

Sid glanced away, “We’re just making up for the fact that we don’t see each other every day. He texts you all the time too.”

“Not nearly as much as he texts you,” Tanger scoffed.

“We’re friends, Kris. We’ve been friends for years. It’s not anything romantic.”

“I dunno, the way he ate you out in Vegas was pretty romantic.”

Sid and Tanger’s eyes both shot up to Hags, who had somehow sidled into their conversation with neither of them noticing. He was wearing a mischievous grin.

“The way he _what?”_ Tanger asked, incredulous.

Sid’s face went bright red. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to think of something to say. Eventually he settled on chirping back weakly, “You sucked his dick. Does that make him your boyfriend too?”

Hags laughed, “I haven’t been texting him constantly since then. Besides, Patric is as much boyfriend as I’ll ever need.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Sid and Tanger both groaned.

“I can’t believe neither of you told me,” Tanger said, shaking his head, “Anyway, I need to go call Duper for reasons completely unrelated to this conversation.”

Sid rolled his eyes, “Right.”

Tanger grinned, apparently taking the lack of negative reaction as permission, and left the room, pulling out his phone. As he left, Sid could hear him saying, “ _Duper, tu ne vas jamais croire que…”_

Sid glared up at Hags, who was looking like the cat who had caught the canary. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Hags responded sunnily, “Hey, you know, if you ever want to get your ass eaten again and Flower isn’t available, Patric’s pretty good at it.”

Sid groaned and shoved Hags back as he stood and headed for the door, Hags’ laughter trailing after him.

 

* * *

 

 

Marc wandered into the living room, absorbed in his phone. He vaguely registered the sound of a movie coming from the TV—that Disney one with the superhero dog or whatever, he thought. He glanced up from his phone to see Vero looking at him from her spot on the couch between Estelle and Scarlett, one eyebrow cocked, somewhere between amused and exasperated.

“Is that Sid again?” She asked, though it sounded like she already knew the answer.

“…Yes?” Marc replied as he settled in next to Scarlett on the couch. Scarlett sat up from where she was laying against Vero to cuddle against Marc, who ruffled her hair.

“I swear you text him more than me,” Vero said, though she didn’t sound upset by the prospect.

Marc frowned, “I see you almost every day, I don’t need to text you as much.”

Vero smirked, “Does that mean you talk to him and me equally?”

“What?” Marc flushed, “No, of course not.”

“You sure? I swear you’ve got that phone in your hand every time I see you.”

Fear was starting to creep in on Marc. “Does it bother you that I talk to him so much?”

Vero’s eyes widened, “No! No, it’s fine dear. I’m only teasing.”

Marc felt a bit better, but he was still a little uneasy. He leaned carefully over Scarlett to pull Vero into a hug and kiss her cheek. “You know I love you, right?”

“I’ve never doubted that for a second, Marc,” Vero said sincerely, “And I never would.”

Feeling more settled, Marc sat back. He looked at Vero, who smiled warmly back.

“I want you to be happy, Marc. And talking to Sidney obviously makes you happy.”

Marc smiled back, “Thanks, Vero.”

A groan came from Vero’s other side, “Maman! Papa! Stop talking during the movie!”

Marc and Vero chuckled at Estelle’s pouty face.

“Sorry, ma petite,” Marc said, and settled back to watch the rest of the movie.

 

* * *

 

 

Sid fiddled with his phone in his hands, biting his lip as he tried to decide whether or not he should call Flower.  The last few roadies had felt off without Flower’s loud, heavily accented voice coming from beside him. He sighed, then hit the call button before he could lose his nerve. Flower answered right away.

“Sid? What’s up?”

“Hey man. Hope I’m not interrupting anything?” said Sid

“Nah, I just got home from practice,” Flower responded, “Aren’t you on your way to Boston?”

“Yeah, I’m on the plane now.”

“Surviving the plane without me to keep you company?” Sid could hear the grin in Flower’s voice. He flushed, glad that Flower couldn’t see him.

“Yeah, I’m managing,” Sid said weakly.

There was a pause from the other line. “Are you actually having trouble with me not being there?” Flower said, sounding genuinely concerned. Sid flushed brighter.

“Uh. Well. I know I’ve said that sitting next to you isn’t a superstition, but…”

“But you’re the most superstitious fucker on the planet?”

Sid snorted, “Yeah. Something like that.”

“Is this helping?” Flower asked softly.

“Yeah,” Sid said, “I just. Wish you were actually here. I feel like I haven’t seen your face in so long.” Sid’s voice was hushed, trying not to let anyone hear him.

“Oh.” Flower hummed, “Well… We could FaceTime, if that would make you feel any better?”

Sid hesitated, “Would that be weird?”

Flower laughed, “We’re friends, Sid. Friends FaceTime, right?”

“Right,” Sid said, “Okay. Yeah. One second.”

Sid hooked his headphones into his phone, then hit the FaceTime button and positioned his phone. Flower’s face appeared after a moment, and he smiled. Sid smiled back, “Hey, man.”

“Hey. Good to see you.”

“You too,” Sid said, “So how did your game in Anaheim go?”

They started talking about their games the previous night, as well as discussing tactics for their games the next day. They were so deep into their conversation that Sid nearly jumped out of his seat when a voice next to his head suddenly said, “Hey, is that Flower?”

Sid’s head whipped around to see Tanger leaning around Sid’s seat to look at his phone. “Yeah, it’s Flower.”

“Lemme talk to him, man,” Tanger said, pulling at Sid’s headphones. Sid rolled his eyes and unplugged the ear buds, tilting the phone so that he and Tanger were both in frame. “Flower! Hey man!” Tanger said, grinning.

“Hey, Tanger. How’s the flight?”

“Sid’s pretty mopey without you, but otherwise it’s fine.”

Sid shoved at Tanger, “Get the hell out of here, Kris.” Tanger laughed and shoved back.

“Papa?” a voice said off screen, drawing Flower’s eyes off the screen, “ _Á qui tu parles?”_

“ _Á Oncle Sid et Oncle Kris,”_ Flower said, beckoning, “ _Dit bonjour, Estelle!”_

Estelle popped into frame, looking excited. “Hi Uncle Sid! Hi Uncle Kris!”

“Hey kiddo!” Sid said, smiling.

“When do you get to visit? I miss you.” Estelle pouted. Sid and Tanger looked at each other.

“We’ll be around in December,” Tanger said.

“Is Alex coming? I miss Alex too.”

Tanger winced, “No, _chérie_ , I’m sorry.”

Estelle looked sad, “Oh. Okay.”

“But I’ll come over to play, okay?”

Estelle smiled, “Okay! Uncle Sid too?”

“Of course,” Sid said.

Flower looked grateful for their responses, “Alright, Estelle, why don’t you go play now, eh?”

“Okay. Bye Uncle Kris! Bye Uncle Sid!” Estelle waved before bouncing up and out of frame.

“I guess I’ll let you two lovebirds keep talking,” Tanger said, then settled back into his seat.

“It’s not like that!” Sid said, flushing.

Tanger grinned, “Yeah, yeah.”

Sid rolled his eyes and turned back to Flower.

“So are you ready to have me shoot on you for real in December?” Sid asked, grinning.

Flower rolled his eyes, “Oh, please. You’ve been shooting on me for twelve years. I’ll manage.”

Sid laughed, “We’ll see about that.”

“I can’t wait until you play us. I miss you guys.”

Sid swallowed, trying not to tear up, “We miss you too, man. We’ll get dinner, right?”

“Right. I can’t wait.”

Neither could Sid.

 

* * *

 

 

“Goodnight, Sid,” Marc said before hitting the end call button, a faint smile on his face as Sid’s face disappeared from his screen. He looked up, and jumped when he realized Vero was standing in the bedroom doorway. “How long have you been there?”

“About a minute,” Vero said as she made her way across the room to the bed. She sat next to Marc and cuddled against him, “How’s Sid?”

“He’s good,” Marc said, gathering Vero close.

“Good.” She snuggled closer.

Marc sighed, and Vero looked up at him, “What’s wrong?”

Marc looked at her for a moment, considering, then sighed again, “I just miss Pittsburgh.”

Vero made a sympathetic noise, “I know. I do too.”

“Vegas is alright, but Pittsburgh was home.”

“Yeah,” Vero said, “That’s where all our friends are.”

“I really miss them,” Marc said, sounding lost.

“Especially Sid?”

Marc opened his mouth, looking like he was going to protest, then shut his mouth and sighed. “Yeah. Especially Sid.”

“You two have been really close.” Vero sat up to look at Marc. Marc sat up as well.

“Yeah, I guess we have.”

“I’m glad. I think having him to talk to has been good for helping you get through these past few months.”

“It really has.”

“Marc…” Vero started, “Are you… Sure you only talk to Sid so much because you’re friends?”

“What?” Marc sat up straighter, “Vero, do you seriously think I’d go behind your back like that?”

“No, Marc, of course not,” Vero said, placing a calming hand on Marc’s arm, “I’m just saying… Is this really how friends act?”

Marc looked at Vero, fear clear in his eyes, “What do you mean?”

Vero sighed, “Marc. The way you looked at him when you ended that call?” She looked him in the eye, “That’s how you look at me.”

Marc sucked in a breath like he’d been punched.

“Oh my god. I’m in love with Sidney.”

“Oh my god, finally,” Vero flopped against him, “I thought I’d have to spell it out for you.”

Marc looked at her, “I’m so sorry.”

Vero leaned back to look at him, “Don’t be.”

“Why not?”

“Marc-André.” She grabbed his arms, looking at him seriously, “Do you love me?”

Marc clutched at her arms, “Yes. Yes, of course I do. More than anything.”

“Not more than Sid, I think.”

Marc looked at her like she’d just slapped him in the face.

“But,” she said, “Not less, right?”

Marc took a shuddering breath, “Never.”

“Good.” Vero pulled him into a tight hug, “I love you, Marc-André. And you love me. We both know that. But you also love Sid. And that’s okay! As long as I know you still love me, too.”

He held her tightly, squeezing his eyes shut to hold back tears. “Thank you, Veronique. I love you so much.”

“You know…” Vero said, pulling back to look at Marc once again, “It’s not too late, the girls are already in bed…” She trailed a hand up his chest, “Would you like to show me exactly how much you love me?”

Marc let out a choked laugh, “Always, my love,” he said as he pushed her down onto the bed.

 

* * *

 

 

Sid knocked on the door to Geno’s house. The door opened after a minute, revealing Anna with an armful of Nikita. Anna took one look at him, sighed, then yelled something in Russian that included “Zhenya” and “Sidney” and nothing else Sid could gather. She turned back to Sid. “He’s in bedroom.”

Sid smiled sheepishly, “Thanks Anna.” He turned to Nikita, “Hey there, buddy.” He ruffled Nikita’s hair, then looked back to Anna. She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

“Go cuddle my husband. Look less mopey.”

Sid grinned, nodded, and headed off to find Geno. He found him lying on his bed, watching what looked like a Russian action movie. He looked up as Sid came in, smiling when he saw him.

“Sid!” Geno patted the spot next to him on the bed, and Sid shuffled over to settle into that spot. Geno wrapped an arm around Sid and pulled him close. Sid cuddled against Geno, listening to his breathing to relax himself. Geno gave him a few minutes to let him decompress before saying, “Okay. What wrong Sid.”

Sid sighed, pressing his face into Geno’s shoulder, “It’s dumb.”

“Tell anyway.”

Sid hesitated long enough that Geno was about to ask again, then said, quietly, “I miss Flower.”

Geno frowned, “I miss too. Whole team miss.”

“I know…”

“But you miss most.”

Sid flushed, “Well. I don’t know that for certain. But… Probably, yeah.”

Geno carded a hand through Sid’s hair, “He replace me as best friend?”

Sid chuckled, “Never, Geno.”

“Of course. He more than best friend, right?”

“What?” Sid looked at Geno. Geno looked back and cocked a brow.

“Never act like this with other friends, Sid. Not even me.”

Sid’s eyes widened, “Oh god. Am I. Am I in love with Flower?”

Geno laughed, “Yes, think probably in love, Sid.”

Sid sighed and covered his face with his hands, “I can’t do anything with that information. He’s married.”

“Sure it matter? She let him eat your ass.”

Sid flushed, “That’s different, that was a one-time thing and it was just sex.”

“Sound like not just sex for you.”

Sid groaned and buried his face back in Geno’s shoulder. Geno chuckled.

“Things work out, Sid. I’m sure.”


End file.
